The air in the waiting room felt heavier than it should have, like the walls were closing in around me. The faint hum of activity outside filtered through the door, reminding me that the ceremony was moments away.
My leg bounced incessantly, and I tapped my fingers against the arm of the chair, trying to shake off the nerves that had settled in my chest.
I wasn't nervous about marrying Aeliana of course not. She was the love of my life.
But there was something about the formality of it all, the grand expectations, and the knowing smirks of everyone around me that made my heart race.
The door creaked open, and my little sister Seraphine strolled in, followed by Riley, Lydia, and Aurelia. Seraphine, as usual, was a whirlwind of energy, her long blue hair flowing behind her as she practically skipped into the room.
Riley trailed close behind, her eyes sparkling with mischief, while Lydia carried herself with a regal calm that only the Queen of the Humans could pull off.
Aurelia, the soon-to-be demon captain, brought up the rear, her sharp eyes darting around the room like she was scouting for threats.
"Well, well, well," Seraphine said, stopping in front of me with a grin that could only mean trouble. "Look at big sister Ciara, all dolled up and ready to tie the knot. Are those... sweat beads I see on your forehead?"
I rolled my eyes, wiping at my forehead just in case. "I'm not sweating. It's warm in here, that's all."
"Right," Riley chimed in, flopping onto the couch across from me. "Warm. Totally not nerves. You're only about to marry the most beautiful woman in the realms with half the demon and human nobility watching."
"Thanks, Riley," I muttered. "That's super helpful."
"Don't worry," Lydia added with a sly smile, sitting gracefully beside Riley. "I'm sure you'll survive. Probably."
Aurelia leaned against the wall, arms crossed as she studied me. "You're fidgeting like someone who's about to be ambushed."
I groaned, sinking lower into the chair. "Can you all just... stop? It's a big day, okay? Let me have a moment of peace."
"Peace?" Seraphine echoed, feigning shock. "Oh no, we can't have that. This is your wedding day, Ciara. Peace is absolutely forbidden."
Riley laughed, nudging Lydia. "Remember when we got married, and you nearly tripped walking down the aisle?"
Lydia shot her a pointed look. "I didn't trip. I gracefully stumbled. There's a difference."
"I don't care what you call it," Riley teased. "You almost face-planted in front of everyone."
I couldn't help but chuckle at their banter, though it did little to calm my nerves.
Seraphine plopped onto the armrest of my chair, leaning over to poke my cheek. "Why are you so tense? This isn't like you. You're supposed to be the cool, confident older sister. What happened?"
"What happened," I said, swatting her hand away, "is that this is a wedding. My wedding. Do you have any idea how much pressure that is?"
"Oh, boo hoo," Seraphine said, dramatically wiping an imaginary tear from her eye. "Poor Ciara, marrying the love of her life. How tragic."
Riley snorted. "She has a point. You're marrying Aeliana. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Don't say that," I snapped. "You'll jinx it."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow. "You're worried about a jinx? You're practically a living flame of chaos. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Don't ask that either!" I said, throwing up my hands. "Why is everyone trying to make me panic?"
"Because it's fun," Seraphine said with a grin. "You're adorable when you're stressed."
"Adorable isn't exactly what I'm going for today," I muttered.
"You should embrace it," Lydia said with a smirk. "Everyone loves a vulnerable bride."
"I'm not vulnerable," I protested, though my voice lacked conviction.
"Keep telling yourself that," Aurelia said. "Maybe you'll believe it by the time Aeliana gets here."
My chest tightened at the mention of her name, but not in a bad way. Just the thought of seeing Aeliana in her wedding dress was enough to make my pulse quicken.
I could practically picture her radiant, breathtaking, and entirely out of my league.
Seraphine seemed to notice the shift in my expression because she leaned in closer, her teasing tone softening slightly. "Hey, relax. Everything's going to be perfect. Aeliana loves you, Ciara. And let's be real, you're the luckiest person in both realms to have her."
I smiled despite myself. "I know. She's everything."
"And you're everything to her," Seraphine said, her voice uncharacteristically sincere. "So stop stressing. Your bride is going to be here shortly."
The teasing banter faded into the background as my thoughts shifted to Aeliana. The nerves that had been gnawing at me weren't because I doubted our love or the step we were about to take together.
No, it was more about the sheer weight of everything—the ceremony, the expectations, the fact that I was about to publicly vow my life to someone who already had my heart.
Seraphine nudged me lightly. "Lost in thought again? Thinking about your bride, aren't you?"
I shot her a half-hearted glare. "Obviously."
Riley smirked. "She's got it bad."
Lydia sipped her tea with an air of regal amusement. "As she should. Aeliana is quite the catch."
Aurelia, ever the stoic, cracked a faint smile. "You two balance each other well. Just don't mess it up."
"I won't," I said firmly, though my voice wavered slightly. "I'm just... overthinking. That's all."
"You? Overthink?" Seraphine gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Shocking."
I swatted at her arm, but she dodged with ease, laughing as she hopped out of my reach. Riley joined in, and even Lydia chuckled softly. Aurelia just shook her head, a ghost of a smile still on her lips.
The room grew quiet again, save for the sound of my fingers drumming against the table. My thoughts spiraled, imagining Aeliana getting ready in her own space.
I wondered if she was as nervous as I was, or if she was handling everything with her usual grace and calm.
Seraphine snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Earth to Ciara. Come on, you're going to wear a hole in the table with all that tapping."
"Sorry," I muttered, pulling my hand away.
"You need a distraction," Riley said, stretching out on the couch like she owned the place. "Let's do something fun. Card games, maybe?"
"I think Ciara has enough on her plate without adding card game drama," Lydia pointed out, eyeing Riley. "Besides, you'd just cheat."
Riley grinned unrepentantly. "True."
Aurelia straightened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced toward the door. "There's someone coming."
A moment later, a servant entered, bowing slightly as they handed me a sealed envelope. "This just arrived for you, Lady Ciara."
I frowned, taking the envelope and noting the lack of a sender's name. The handwriting was unfamiliar, sharp and precise, and something about it sent a chill down my spine.
"What is it?" Seraphine asked, leaning over my shoulder.
"I don't know," I said, breaking the seal carefully. As I unfolded the letter, my heart sank, and the world seemed to tilt slightly.
Scrawled across the parchment in bold, jagged letters were the words:
We have her.
The room fell silent. My chest tightened, and my hand gripped the letter so hard it crumpled slightly.
"What does it say?" Riley asked, her playful tone replaced with concern.
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. "They have her."
Lydia shot to her feet, her regal demeanor giving way to urgency. "Who has her? What's going on?"
Aurelia stepped closer, her expression hard as steel. "Is it Aeliana? Are they talking about her?"
I could barely nod, my mind racing as panic clawed at the edges of my thoughts.
Seraphine grabbed my arm, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and determination. "Ciara, we'll figure this out. But first, you need to tell us everything."
My jaw tightened, and I stood abruptly, the letter clutched in my hand. "Someone's trying to ruin our day. But they don't know who they're messing with."
The room buzzed with energy as my friends rallied around me, their teasing forgotten in the face of this sudden threat. But even as determination burned in my chest, a gnawing fear lingered.
Whoever had written this letter had made one critical mistake: they underestimated how far I would go to protect Aeliana.
I clenched the letter tightly, my knuckles turning white as the weight of the words sank in. The room buzzed with tension, but all I could think about was Aeliana. My Aeliana.
"I'm not waiting around," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "We're going after her. Now."
Seraphine placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "We'll handle this together, Ciara. Whoever they are, they've messed with the wrong family."
Lydia and Aurelia exchanged determined looks, and Riley cracked her knuckles.
"Let's get her back," Aurelia said simply.
I nodded. "Let's move."